Machine for producing tobacco portions of uniform size



Oct. 30, 1934.

K. E. GRANSTEDT Oct. 30, 1934. K, E s -r 1,978,861

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING TOBACCO PORTIONS OF UNIFORM SIZE Filed June 14,1953 37 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/ .2 /4 i I7 I H: [ln Hm \I u H HUME H l Hl llWNW:

\ 3 LP/e Wm WM l [I H I? i w r I l 9 LQ Q 1 o O 25 m 19'. W 24 o Iii l ui L M W muh l 40 IX .r 20 EM I N (H in 18 i a k g 4 g H Oct. 30, 1934-K. E. GRANSTEDT MACHINE FOR PRODUCING TOBACCO PORTIONS OF UNIFORM SIZE 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 14 Patented Oct. 30, 1934 MACHINE FORPRODUCING TOBACCO PORTIONS OF UNIFORM SIZE Karl Erik Granstedt,Stockholm, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Formator, Stockholm, Sweden,a joint-stock company of Sweden Application June 14, 1933, Serial No.675,829

11 Claims.

The present invention'relates to machines for producing tobacco portionsof uniform size and -more particularly to those of a known kind in whicha tobacco mass is compressed in an open "I ended casing onto a bedwhereupon the projecting tobacco portion is severed from the remainingtobacco mass close by the casing.

Machines of this kind as hitherto known act satisfactorily when thetobacco mass treated is of uniform nature and quality. It may, however,

occur that the tobacco mass treated is more or less moist or subjectedto frequent variations in structure. If the tobacco portions areintended for the manufacture of cigars it may also occur .15 thatbinders or wrappers of different sizes are used. In all cases nowmentioned a material is obtained which does not render a finishedproduct of uniform size, though the size of said material is uniform.

According to my present invention a machine mainly of the constructiondescribed above is provided with a device admitting a rapid and easyadjustment of the position that the casing occupies when the cuttingoperation is effected .25 for the purpose of encountering periodicalchanges of the quality of the tobacco mass etc. as above mentioned, eventhough such changes may appear in the course of operating the machine.

A main object of my invention is to provide a machine of said type withmeans operable at the outside of the machine for adjusting the cuttingposition of the casing.

A further object of my invention is to provide the mechanism forreciprocating the casing with means operable at the outside of themachine for adjustingthe cutting position of the casing. With these andother objects not specifically mentioned in view, my invention consistsin certain constructions, combinations and parts which willbehereinafter fully described and then specifically set forth in theclaims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, which form 7 part of this specification,and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or likeparts, Fig. I is a side elevational view of a machine constructed inaccordance with the invention;

0 Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of part of the machine; Fig. 3 is asectional view on line IIIIII of Fig- 2; Fig. 4 is a front view onlarger scale of part of the machine; Fig. 5 is a vertical section online V--V of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 illustrates the lower part of Fig.5 in adifierent operating position; and Fig. 7 is an elevational view of amodified part of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, a casing 1 having openings at the top and thebottom is provided with an opening in its rear wall, said openingcommunicating with a funnel 2. Inserted through the top opening of thecasing is a piston 3 fitting the interior of the casing. Projecting fromthe sides of the casing are pins 4, and to each of them a double-armedlever 5, 6 is pivoted. The arms 6 have toothed segments or curved racks7 at their upper free ends, and said curved racks engage similar racks 8on arms 9, keyed to a horizontal shaft 10 rotatable in bearings 11 on aslide 12. Rigidly connected to one end of the shaft 10 is one end of anarm 40, the other end of which is pivotally connected to a. rod 41reciprocated by any suitable mechanism in such manner that double-armedlever 5, 6 obtains swinging movements. Secured to the lower end of thearms 5 is a cutter 13. The lateral walls 14 of the casing are providedwith lugs 15, by which the casing is secured to the slide 12, the latterrunning on vertical guide bars 16, which are connected with each otherat the top by means of a cross bar 17 carrying the piston 3, and whichare in turn slidable in vertical guides 18 in a table 19.

Reciprocating movements are imparted to the slide 12 by means of rods20, the top end of which is keyed by means of a pin 21 to a socket 22,the top of which has small radial grooves 23. The socket 22 is providedwith a laterally projecting handle 33. Another socket 24 is slidablymounted on a connecting member 25 and each of said memhers is connectedto the slide 12 by means of a screw 26. A pin 27 in the socket 24projects into a vertical groove 28 in the member 25 and prevents rotarymovement of the socket 24 relative to the member 25. A coiledcompression spring 29 engages the bottom of the member 25 and a bottomplate 30 of the socket 24, said plate having ridges corresponding to thegrooves 23 of the socket 22. The connecting member 25 is internallythreaded and the corresponding threaded top end 31 of the rods isscrewed thereto. The other end of the rods is screwed to a link 32pivoted to one arm 33 of a bell crank lever on a shaft 34. The threadsof the lower end of the rod have a direction opposite to that of thethreads of the upper end of the rod. The other arm 35 of the lever isprovided with a roller 36. A coiled tension spring 37 forces the roller36 against the periphery of a cam disc 38 keyed the socket 24 may of thelatter when they engage the grooves 23. The socket 22 or the socket 24.may be graduated.

jjecting portion of the casing, means for moving piston 1 piston forcompressing tobacco mass onto the bed, a cutter for severing theprojecting portion of the tobacco mass close by'the casing,

to a continuously rotating drive shaft 39, connected to any knowndriving device.

In operating the machine shown in the drawings tobacco mass is fed intothe funnel 2, when the piston 3 occupies its uppermost position as shownin Fig. 5. Thereupon the casing with the knife 13 is moved into aposition at a certain distance from the upper surface of the table 19,whereupon tobacco mass is fed onto the table by the piston whereupon theknife 13 is swung inwards, thus severing the projecting part of thetobacco mass. Movement is imparted to the casing by means of the rods20, which are actuated by the bell crank lever 33,35 and the cam disc38. The roller 36 rides on the concentric part of the periphery of thecam disc for about'half a revolution and thereby the. casing 1 occupiesits uppermost position. If the quality of the tobacco or the size of thewrapper varies during the course of operation and thereby adjustment isrequired the handle 33 with the rod 20 is turned into a desired positionwhereby the rod is shortened or lengthened so that the lowermostposition of easing 1 may be adjusted particularly exactly. The positionof the socket 22 relative to be determined by the ridges By theadjusting device now disclosed the device is operated very easily as thehandle 33 may be turnedinto a desired position during the period whenthe roller 36-rides on the concentric part -of the cam disc 38, that iswhen the casing occupies its uppermost position. If desired the samedirection but a different pitch may be given to the threads of therod'20 as shown in Fig. '7. Thereby an extremely exact adjustment isobtained by turning the rods.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent in-the UnitedStates of America 1. In a machine for producing tobacco portions ofuniform size, a bed,- an open ended casing, a piston for compressingtobacco mass in the casing onto thebed, a cutter for severing theprotobacco mass close by the the casing to a cutting position within apredetermined distance of the bed, and means operable at-th'e' side ofthe casing for adjusting said casing relative to said bed.

2. Ina machine for producing tobacco portions of uniform size, a bed, anopen ended casing, a for compressing tobacco mass in the casing onto thebed, a cutter for severing the projecting portion of the tobacco massclose by the casing, means for moving the casing to a cutting positionwithin a predetermined distance of the bed, and manually operable meansat the side of the casing for adjusting said casing relative to saidbed.

3. In a machine for producing tobacco portions of uniform size, abed,'an openended casing, a piston for compressing tobacco mass in thecasing onto the bed, a cutter for severing the projecting portion of thetobacco mass close by the casing, means for moving the casing to acutting position within a predetermined distance of the bed, andmanually operable yielding means at the side of the casing for adjustingsaid casing relative to said bed. 1

4. In a machine for producing tobacco portions of uniform size, a bed,anopen ended casing, a in the casing --for severing the projectingportion of the tobacco mass close by the casing, means for moving thecasing vertically to a cutting position relative to the table, and meansoperable at the side of the casing for adjusting said casing into avertical position relative to said table.

6. In a machine for producing tobacco portions of uniform size, a bed,an open ended casing, a piston for compressing tobacco mass in thecasing onto the bed, a cutter for severing the projecting portion of thetobacco mass close by the casing, a mechanism for moving the casing to,a cutting position within a predetermined distance of the bed, saidmechanism having means at the side of the casing for adjusting saidcasing relative to said bed.

7. In a machine for producing tobacco portions of uniform size, a bed,an open ended casing, a piston for compressing tobacco mass in thecasing onto the bed, a cutter for severing the projecting portion of thetobacco mass close by the casing, driving means for moving the casing toa cutting position within a'predetermined distance of the bed, and rodsconnecting said driving meanswith the casing and having means operableat the side of the casing for adjusting said casing relative to saidbed..

8. In a machine for producing tobacco portions of uniform size, a bed,an open ended casing, a piston for compressing tobacco mass'inthe casingonto the bed, a cutter for severing the projecting portion of thetobacco mass close by the casing, driving means for moving the casing toa cutting position within a predetermined distanceof the bed, rodshaving ends connected to the casing and other ends connected to saiddriving means, and means operable at the side of the casing foradjusting the connection of the rod with the casing.

9. In a machine for producing tobacco portions of uniform size, a bed,an open ended casing, a piston for compressing tobacco massin the casingonto the bed, a cutter for severing the projecting portion of thetobacco mass close by the casing, driving means for moving the'casingto. a cutting position within a predetermined distance of the bed, rodshaving ends connected to the casing and other ends connected to'saiddriving means, and means operable at the side of the casing foradjusting the connection of the rod .to said driving means. a

10. In a machine for producing tobacco portions of uniform size, a bed,an open ended casing, a piston for compressing tobacco mass in thecasing onto the bed, a cutter for severing the projecting portion of thetobacco massclose by the casing, driving means for moving the casing'.

to said driving means and the threads of one end having a pitchdifferent from that of the other end of each rod, and adjusting meansoperable at the side of the casing for turning said rods.

11.'In a machine for producing tobacco por-"l5Q tions of uniform size, abed, an open ended casing, a piston for compressing tobacco mass in thecasing onto the bed, a cutter for severing the projecting portion of thetobacco mass close by the casing, driving means for moving the casing toa cutting position Within a predetermined distance of the bed, rodshaving threaded ends one end of

